Live Cricket Score of Ranji Trophy, Round 5, Day 4

Both games end in a draw as widely expected. Haryana and Goa will walk away with three points after fetching the first innings lead. And that concludes the fifth round of this season's Ranji Trophy. It's been a terrific round with some of the less-fancied teams proving to be a tough nut to crack for the heavyweights. Hopefully, we get to see more of the same in the remainder of the tournament.

Bad light spoils the party

The games at Lahli and New Delhi are halted because of the bad light. While Goa are chasing another 56 more runs to topple Services, Haryana seek enough time to fetch the final three wickets that will give them a win over Team Rajasthan. Considering the time of the day, it's highly unlikely play will resume. Haryana couldn't have done much after losing overs every day in the morning session but Goa will have to take a hard look at themselves. Chasing only 184, they took a lot of time to get the job done. They have batted out 50 overs already to make 128 and that approach might come back to bite them.

Mumbai fetch a point

Well done Siddesh Lad, well done Dhawal Kulkarni. They have batted out the last few overs without any hiccups as Mumbai fetch a point. Baroda will feel annoyed and gutted. This was their game. They had it in the bag after initially taking a lead of 404 in the first innings. Mumbai in response, were struggling at 125 for 5 at one stage but how well has Lad batted alongside SK Yadav and Nayar to eke out an unlikely draw. No wonder they are the most successful team in the competition. Their fighting spirit is intact!

Andhra survive scare

Looks like the bad light has saved Andhra here. The way Smit Patel was batting, he would have backed himself to give Tripura an unlikely win but bad light forces play to be called off. The game ends in a draw. Andhra take three points while Tripura will have to be content with one.

Odisha take lead

Wow, there you go! What a climax! Remember, this battle was not for an outright result. It was all about getting that first-innings lead to fetch three points. And it is the hosts, who have come out on top. They lost nine wickets but their resoluteness carried them over the line. Odisha had many heroes to thank in this innings but the major credit goes to their wicketkeeper, who stroked a crucial 97. Things are looking bleak for Tamil Nadu now. Qualification becomes harder and harder. They have drawn all four games now and that puts them under pressure to win their immediate clash against Madhya Pradesh.

Mumbai almost there

They just need to bat out 14 balls now. You have to say Mumbai are favourites here to get the job done. Kulkarni is looking calm out in the middle alongside Lad.

Another twist

Oh this game never ceases to amaze me! It's going down to the wire in Cuttack! Heartbreak for Rajesh Dhuper as he falls three short of his century. But more importantly, he fails to carry Odisha over the line. The hosts still five runs, TN need one more wicket! Which will way the pendulum swing?

Goa playing it safe

I'm not sure if this is the right approach but with many overs left, Goa are playing it safe against Services. They need another 63 runs from 21 overs with six wickets left. They have made only 121 so far in 47 overs. They may be left to rue their approach if it becomes difficult for all 21 overs to be bowled.

Maharashtra vs Railways

Another dull affair in Pune ends in a draw! Railways bat out 18 overs to score 54 as the players decide enough is enough on this surface. The home sidepickup three points courtesy of the first-innings lead whereas Railways walk away with just one.

Tripura might shock Andhra

Well, with all the attention placed on the Mumbai-Baroda game, Tripura are silently inching towards the target set by Andhra in Agartala. They need 71 runs from 75 balls with five wickets in hand. All hopes rest on Smit Patel, who is batting in the nineties. He is striking it at more than a 100 but can he keep it going?

12 overs left, 33 more runs to get, two wickets left, can Odisha do it? We are talking about the first-innings lead here. It's so crucial for both the teams going ahead in this tournament. Rajesh Dhuper is keeping Odisha afloat with a fighting knock.

Big breakthrough

Oh the stubborn stand finally ends! Baroda have broken the resistance. Nayar falls for a 108-ball 8, yes you read that right. He took 108 balls to make 8 to save Mumbai from losing this game. He did his job but Mumbai still have to bat for 11 overs to save this game. Is there another twist to this tale?

Players & Umpires shake hands. Game ends in a draw. 3 points for Karnataka & 1 point for Delhi. Karnataka remain at top of table. #KARvDEL

You got to laud Mumbai's fighting spirit! Mumbai are frustrating Baroda here with their stubbornness. They are not willing to let go. They know they will fetch only one point out of this clash despite all this fight but they need it badly. The race for the top two spots could go down to the wire in this group and hence Nayar and Lad aren't giving up. These two will have to bat for only one more hour now.

Rajasthan in tatters

They are six down now! Team Rajasthan are staring at a defeat as wickets keep tumbling. The home side have 30 more overs today to try and fetch the remaining wickets if the light permits.So Haryana are the favourites!

The players shake hands in Guwahati as the match ends in a draw. Assam did really well in the final innings to not succumb to Saurabh Kumar's threat. UP will look back on their declaration. They could have probably declared a few overs earlier which could have added more pressure on the hosts. They take three points from the contest whereas Assamtakeone.

Saurashtra consolidate their top spot with an impressive performance on a dead track. They picked up the first innings lead against the defending champions and that has helped them open up a four-point lead at the top.

Vidarbha still manage to pick up the bonus point despite letting Bengal erase the deficit. Needing just 15 to win, Fazal and Ramaswamy get the job done for the visitors. A hugely impressive win indeed.

Suryakant is causing problems for TN

Suryakant Pradhan has quickly moved to 37 off just 32 balls to bring the deficit down to 75. This is a good tactic from Odisha as Rajesh Dhuper is looking to consolidate from the other end. The visitors will panic now as if this goes on for another hour, then Odisha will be favourites to fetch the first-innings lead.

Mumbai vs Baroda

Credit to Mumbai! They have done pretty well so far. The lower middle order has rallied for a long time to keep fighting. While Nayar is batting on 2 off 55 balls whereas Lad is batting on 57 off 155 deliveries. These two have already batted for 18 overs and they have another 28 overs now in the final session to eke out an unlikely draw. Can they do it?

Uthappa breaks the duck

It might well be a dull affair but this innings was much-needed for Robin Uthappa. He hasn't been amongst the runs since making the switch to Saurashtra but now he finally gets a half-century. He has looked very fluent so far scoring at a brisk pace.

Two more wickets and Haryana are all over Team Rajasthan at Lahli. Dishant Yagnik and Ashok Menaria have also made the long walk back to the pavilion. They are 24 for 4 now. Looks like the hosts might manage to squeeze a win here.

Maharashtra declare

Everyone had a hit out there in the middle and Maharashtra have finally declared, setting Railways a target of 287. They don't expect to win in a session, do they?

Bengal take lead

Vidarbha will have to bat again. Aamir Gani and Kanishk Seth are battling hard to add as many runs as possible. The lead is now 9.

This is all about the first-innings lead! Nothing more, nothing less! And Tamil Nadu and Odisha are battling it out hard to secure those crucial points. With Mumbai on the verge of losing to Baroda, this is TN's big opportunity to remain in contention for a knockout spot since Andhra and Madhya Pradesh have developed a lead at the top. And now with Odisha narrowing down the margin to 116, Yomahesh provides a timely wicket to get rid of Alok Sahoo. If the visitors can manage to dismiss the wicketkeeper Rajesh Dhuper, who has been battling hard for his runs, then they will stand a real chance of fetching that first-innings lead. Players head for Tea now.

J & K register big win

What a moment! What a win! Jammu and Kashmir have defied the odds to beat last year's semifinalists in their own backyard. Shahbaz Nadeem tried his best to delay the inevitable but Rasool and Aziz have shared all the ten wickets between them to deliver a 106-run win. This is their first win of the season as well.

Game on

Wow,Lahli'smagical strip has injected life into this game that was supposed to be dead and buried. Harshal Patel strikes again as the big fish Robin Bist is trapped leg-before-wicket. Rajasthanare2/2.

Bengal vs Vidarbha

Bengal need 26 more runs to make Vidarbha bat again and the visitors need just two more wickets to pick up a comprehensive win. Either way, Vidarbha are easily the favourites to pick up the win but can Bengal make them bat again.

Deepak Hooda finally breaches Surya Kumar Yadav's defence. Baroda still have high hopes. Mumbai trail by 192 runs and have to heavily rely on this pair of Lad and Nayar to bat beyond Tea, which will give them plenty of confidence.

Smart move

Play finally gets underway at Lahli and the home side declare with their overnight score, setting Team Rajasthan a target of 253. They have also struck immediately with Harshal Patel getting rid of Gautam early.

Well, at least this is serving some purpose! Karnataka's baffling decision gives Rahul an opportunity to make amends and get some game time ahead of the opening Test against Sri Lanka. He races to a half-century and is involved in a century stand with Samarth. Enough! Declare!

Saha misses ton

He must be gutted! After all the entertainment and hard work in bringing the deficit below 100, Saha falls three short of a hundred. To make matters worse, it was a run out as well. Bengalarenow 243/5, still trailing by 49 runs. It's a tricky situation for them. Should they go hammer and tongs and be happy if they fetch a 70-run lead? Or should they bat time?

Washington does the trick

Shantanu Mishra falls! That's a huge blow for Odisha. Shantanu was looking composed out in the middle but now TN have pegged the hosts back. That's the third wicket for Washington as Odisha now trail by 178 runs.

'Three for you and three for me', says Rasool to Aamir Aziz. The spinner gets rid of Ishank Jaggi to help J & K inch closer now. Jharkhand still need 195 to win.

Misal derails Services

Darshan Misal has given Goa a great chance of picking up an outright win over Services in Delhi. At one stage, this game seemed to heading for a draw with Services batting on 130 for 3 before Misal ran through the lineup to finish with seven wickets. Goa now need 184 runs to win this contest.

Jharkhand lose steam

Kudos to Jammu and Kashmir for their brilliant comeback. After a sizzling start to an improbable chase, Jharkhand have succumbed to the pressure. After Parvez Rasool's initial strikes, Aamir Aziz took control, bagging three quick wickets to leave Jharkhand reeling at 135 for 5 at lunch. Utkarsh Singh and Ishank Jaggi will have to bat out of their skin to save this game.

Saha sizzles

Saha's brilliant counterattacking half-century keeps Vidarbha at bay. Bengal head for lunch at 197 for 4, still trailing by 95 runs, but if they continue to bat in the same vein post lunch, then Vidarbha will have to change their strategy. Saha is batting on 73 off just 86 balls whereas Sudip Chatterjee has looked assured at the other end batting on 65.

Ton for Bhatt

Well done Rujul Bhatt! That's a fighting ton from a batsman who isn't finding support from the other end. Gujarat have lost their sixth wicket too with Ravindra Jadeja finally entering the wickets column after trapping Chirag Gandhi lbw. Chawla isn't going to muck around in the crease. He has quickly raced to 18 off 14 as Gujarat's total approaches 400.

A dull affair

Railways were finally bowled out for 381 in their first innings and as a result, Maharashtra have fetched a first innings lead of 100. This game is going nowhere.

Could've still tried having momentum on their side

Pitch hasn't deteriorated as much as it is expected to be on Day 4 - primary reason why Karnataka hasn't enforced follw-on. #KARvDEL

They have finally declared at 234 for 4, so the target for Tripura is 320 in Agartala. Even though they made 315 in the first innings, it is unlikely they will look for a victory here against a pretty decent bowling attack.

Rahane falls

Huge breakthrough for Baroda at the Wankhede. The big fish falls. He did battle for a while, keeping Mumbai's faintest of hopes alive but it is Swapnil Singh, who has broken through his defences to cause a huge dent.

Strange tactics

I thought no team would want to bat for the second time after posting 649 on the board. These are strange tactics employed by Karnataka. They have bowled really well today to bundle out Delhi for just 301. They have a massive lead of 348 and yet they have opted to bat again. They are just wasting time rather than enforcing the follow on in order to push for the victory.

The less-popular Jadeja strikes again for Saurashtra! Gaja is the man dismissed as Gujarat lose number five. Rujul Bhatt is into the nineties at the other and is trying to forge another partnership now, this time with Chirag Gandhi.

Honeymoon over

Jharkhand are rattled! The pendulum swings to the other extreme once again as Jammu and Kashmir claw their way back into the contest. It started with Parvez Rasool castling Ishan Kishan for 52 and then trapping Nazim Siddiqui lbw for a 20-ball 38. With Aamir Aziz accounting for Anand Singh soon after, Jharkhand are in huge trouble now. 109 for 3 and they still need 241.

Services vs Goa

Bad light has stopped play. Services lead by 136 runs at the moment. Only nine overs have been bowled in the morning so far. Not easy to play cricket early in the morning in Delhi at this time of the year.

Mithun has been outstanding in the game. The morning spell 6-3-14-4 has blown Delhi away, bowled out for 301. Trail by 348 runs. No follow-on enforced. #KARvDEL#RanjiTrophy

Okay letme anti-jinx now, @Narbavi Indian no5 and 6 playing here. They haven't been able to Leave the impression Their Teams might have wanted from International Stars. Hope they hang on for at least some time.

Yes, that's what Mumbai have scored in the morning so far. They know they have to block their way out of trouble on the final day to avoid defeat. They have the right man at one end in the form of Ajinkya Rahane, who is batting on 39 and at the other end, Surya Kumar Yadav has made 2 from 35. They need to keep doing this for long periods of time though.

UP wasting time

Not sure how much more do they want. The lead has already swelled to 387, which is a daunting target for a side like Assam. Yet, Raina hasn't declared. UP continue to bat.

Jharkhand on the rampage

Wow, they really are going for it! Jharkhand have made a cracking start to shift the pressure right back on Jammu and Kashmir. Chasing an imposing 350, they have raced to 74 in the first ten overs. Ishan Kishan, promoted up the order is batting on 44 whereas Nazim Siddiqui has hit 26 off just 12 balls. J & K need some respite and they can get it only in the form of a wicket.

Jinxed

I must really stop jinxing players now. Samantray has fallen immediately after reaching his fifty and that's a huge blow for Odisha in their quest to surpass TN's total. Vijay Shankar's golden arm fetches the wicket. The hosts are 310 for 5.

50s for the pair

Shantanu reaches his half-century off 167 balls and immediately, Biplab brings up his own fifty off 133 balls as Odisha make a strong start to the day. They still trail TN by 220 runs but if these two can hang for a while, Odisha will certainly entertain hopes of going past TN's total.

Gambhir departs

Ok, this match has turned on its head. Delhi are crumbling, their hopes are crumbling big time. Gambhir is the next to depart now. He edges one behind to the slip cordon off Mithun for 144. It's been a terrific knock but his wicket signals the slide for Delhi.

Familiar story

This has been the case in Lahli from the first day. The light isn't good enough for play to start on time. Haryana will be desperate to get on the field, pile on a few runs and ask Team Rajasthan to chase it down.

Big blow for Delhi. They have lost an early wicket. That should prove to be a huge confidence booster for Karnataka who still lead by 372 runs. Gambhir, batting on 135, remains the key for Delhi. The visitors need to score 499 to avoid the follow on and that looks far away now.

J & K declare

After the fall of the ninth wicket, Jammu and Kashmir see no point in wasting time, so they have declared their innings at 265. So Jharkhand will have to chase down 350 to win this contest. Not easy by any stretch. J & K start favourites!

While Andhra lose Bharath immediately after he reached a half-century, Jammu and Kashmir are on the brink of getting all out against Jharkhand but the big news coming from Kalyani is that Bengal have lost their skipper Manoj Tiwary very early in the day. This is a huge blow for the hosts, who still trail by 195 runs.

Build up

Sunday mornings are supposed to be lazy but don't mention that to some of the cricketers out there playing all over the country for some crucial points. While some are set to battle to avoid defeat, some will be content on surpassing their opponent's first-innings total. For teams like Mumbai and Bengal, it's a matter of survival. These two were heavily fancied against Baroda and Vidarbha, considering the fact they were also playing at home but what transpired over the last three days has surprised many.

Mumbai in particular, being the Ranji Trophy heavyweights, are in danger of missing out on a knockout spot. They trail by a massive margin of 302 runs and have only six wickets in hand to survive the entire day whereas Bengal trail by 206 with seven wickets in hand. The contests involving Gujarat and Saurashtra in Rajkot and Tamil Nadu and Odisha in Cuttack and Karnataka and Delhi in Alur are destined to end in a draw. It will be interesting to see how the likes of Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh go about their business because they all have an opportunity to push for a win. Welcome to our live blog for the final day's play of the fifth round. Tweet in your opinions to @Narbavi and have them featured on the blog.